It’s not all code: A walk-through of goodies from Microsoft Build 2013

We saw laptops, tablets, and so many 3D printers. Take a look through our gallery.

This week, you've joined us for the liveblogs and heard the many different announcements from Microsoft's Build developer conference. We got an extensive hands-on look at the new features in Windows 8.1 and its many interface changes. We also touched on Windows' new out-of-the-box 3D printing capabilities and took a stroll through the vastly improved Windows Store. After all that, we perused the miniature show floor, which was mostly a showcase of some of the latest Windows products. Take a peek.

Build had a show floor with all sorts of the latest hardware running Microsoft software.

It seems that this year's Build was the year of the 3D printer. These devices were sprinkled all over the show floor, though it isn't surprising considering Microsoft's push for out-of-the-box compatibility in Windows 8.1.

We still can't help but marvel at the things 3D printers are capable of printing.

A closer look at the fluorescent-colored HTC 8S, one of the Windows Phone 8 phones that is not expected to make it to the US alongside HTC's flagship 8X.

It's a nicely built phone, however, and it felt comfortable to hold. Frankly, it made us miss the smaller form-factor of the handsets from the days of yore.

This is the Lumia 925. Its OLED screen is low-power, which is why the handset can tell time even if the screen is off.

A look at the backside of the Lumia 925.

It features aluminum trim all around the edges.

OEMs are still attempting to figure out the right form factor for touch-enabled Windows devices. It remains to be seen if hybrid tablet / laptop devices are the right setup.

The Acer Iconia W3. While Windows 8 wasn't exactly designed for the size of a tablet, Windows 8.1 features some improvements to the Start screen and applications that should help offer a better experience for portrait-oriented devices.

This is a giant tablet-like device from Lenovo.

Shh. The hackers are hacking.

We haven't had a chance to use a Lenovo ThinkPad Helix just yet, but we did get a demo of it at Build. Here is the keyboard dock for the laptop-tablet hybrid device.

When the tablet portion of the device is plugged in, it looks just like a regular laptop.

The Helix that we got to see was a bit worn, but you can check out the flat-top keyboard.

Testing out pressure sensitivity on a tablet at Microsoft's BUILD conference.

Ars Technica

This is the great wall of phones at the Nokia booth. There are 200 Nokia Lumia 825 devices here that could be controlled remotely. The Maps functionality was especially neat to see in real time.

Attendees were encourage to participate in the scavenger hunt for nine different buttons placed throughout the Moscone Convention Center. Each button depicted one of the many touch actions you can perform on the touch-enabled Windows devices.

The Xbox One was one of the first pieces of hardware on display.

Unfortunately, it was enclosed in a plastic box. There was even a security guard watching over the unit.

That plastic enclosure makes taking photos kind of tough.

A side look at the Xbox One's Kinect.

A closer look at the Xbox One's controller.

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